Sprinting Through Church History Session One: Early Christianity

Things to Think About As We Get Started: 1. Major themes in church history repeatedly come up. Watch for them. They are somewhat cyclical but not deterministic. 2. Almost all the early Christian leaders sought to adapt the Christian faith to their culture, their region, and their times. a. This attempt was later the seedbed for major differences in the Christian tradition. b. Some early Christians rebelled against the cultural adaptation of Christianity and then promptly declared themselves to be the only ones who were right (Sound familiar?) c. An interesting thesis of church history set forth by Phyllis Tickle is that about every five hundred years, the church, or the empowered structures of institutionalized Christianity—whatever they may be at the time—becomes intolerable and must be shattered in order that new growth and renewal can occur (see Phyllis Tickle, The Great Emergence: How Christianity Is Changing and Why.) We are living in and through such a time. [Think about it—we are 499+ years away from the October 31, 1517 nailing of Martin Luther’s debate propositions to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany.] In order to understand the present times, we must look at the past and how political, social, and religious forces came together in these massive transitions. ++++++++++++ 3. The process of self-definition is an ongoing one for the church, but to what extent? How do we do it in matters as diverse as doctrine, worship, church government and ethics? Challenges to the “orthodox” faith—the way most Christians believed—became known in the early church as “heresies.” They were defined as doctrines which seemed to threaten the very core of the Christian faith. a. The rapid growth of the church brought people from varied backgrounds, which in turn gave rise to diverse religious beliefs and practices. b. The most important (and dangerous) heresy was known as Gnosticism (late 1st century beginning). This complex heresy, which blended certain elements of pagan philosophy with ancient pagan religions as well as distorted Christian beliefs, had the following major components: (1) negative view of the world, including denial that God created it; (2) view that one escapes from the material world and ascends to the spiritual world by means of a special knowledge (in Greek, gnosis); (3) denial of the Christian doctrine of the Incarnation (which states that God took on human flesh in the person of Jesus) and the final resurrection. c. Another early heresy was the doctrine of Marcion (85-160 A.D.), who believed that the God who wrote the Old Testament could not be the same as the Father of Jesus, 2

but rather was an inferior being (vengeful, cruel, etc.). He rejected all of the OT books and began making his list of NT-era books which he believed were inspired by the true God. d. It was in response to heresies such as the Marcionites, that the early church began to produce the canon (list of books they believed were inspired in the NT) and the Apostles’ Creed, which defined orthodoxy for them and began to emphasize apostolic succession. 4. What about worship and what about leadership in the early church? a. It is possible to know a great deal about early Christian worship because of the writings of men in the late 2nd and early 3rd centuries, such as Irenaeus, Tertullian, Clement, and Origen. b. The central tenets of worship were communion (a celebration observed on Sundays) and baptism (immersion during this period but by the 3rd century involved extensive instruction and was sometimes performed on special days, such as Easter). [Incidentally, the church in the East and in the West of the Roman Empire was already showing signs of division.] c. Leadership by the end of the 1st century usually consisted of lay elders over a city. Then early into the 2nd century, certain men were elevated over others in the geographical area (bishop). By the 3rd century, the bishop of Rome began to assume a primary role of leadership and claimed apostolic succession in the West [--a point of contention with the churches in the Eastern part of the Roman Empire]. d. Sins such as sexual immorality resulted in excommunication from the Eucharist (communion). Great debate ensued as to whether they could be restored. The same debate also came when certain Christians caved under persecution but then later wanted to return to the church. ~~~~~~~~~~

• Apostolic Fathers -- Writings of the early Christian leaders primarily in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. Through their writings, we learn much about the life and controversies of the early church. • Martyrs – Believers who died for their faith. In Greek, the word for “martyr” is the same word used for “witness.” There was an early Christian saying, “The blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church.” Perhaps the most famous was Justin Martyr, who in the 2nd century argued that anything that was true had its origin in the “Logos”, the Word that is talked about in John 1:1 (“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.”) Have you ever heard the saying, “All truth is God’s truth?” That saying may have had its origin in Justin. • Apologists—Christian writers who defended the Christian faith in the face of various accusations made against it by the pagan world. Some apologists were openly hostile to 3

the Greco-Roman culture, while others tried to seek common ground between Christianity and the culture of the time. • Persecutions—Widespread in 2nd and 3rd centuries, but usually only occurred if Christians were brought before authorities and refused to acknowledge Caesar as god. Sporadic and local persecutions were the rule. After relative calm in the 3rd century, persecutions became increasingly severe. The worst was under Diocletian (285-305). Persecutions were ended in 313 by the so-called “edict of Milan” by the emperor Constantine (306-337). ------

6th century baptistery, hewn out of a single piece of marble. It was housed in the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey. It was discovered during the latest renovation and was first opened to the public for viewing in 2010. The church was first opened in 360 A.D. and has survived several fires, earthquakes, and renovations. It is presently a museum. The following quote is taken from the web site:

“If you look at the baptismal tank, you immediately take the impression of the anatomical shape of a uterus. Even the color of the marble seems to remember the human flesh. This is not accidental. Baptism, in fact, is seen as a rebirth from the womb of the Church. The water must completely immerse the body of the baptized three times in remembrance of the death and resurrection of Christ. The same steps leading down into the water are three, a symbolic number (along with seven), which are often used in Christian architecture.”

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The Christian Empire (from the “conversion” of Constantine [early 4th century] to the Fall of the last Roman Emperor of the West [476])

1. By the end of the 4th century, Christianity became the official religion of the empire. The church enjoyed increased power and visibility, and many of the aristocracy now became Christians. 2. One of the great mysteries of church history revolves around the “conversion” of the Emperor Constantine. Christians were gaining significantly in numbers in the Empire. Constantine was a politician as well as a military leader. He claimed a vision of the cross just before a critical battle and the message “By this sign conquer.” Constantine was victorious. Shortly thereafter Christianity was legalized. To add to the mystery, Constantine waited to be baptized until he was on his deathbed. Was the “conversion” to Christianity politically motivated or spiritually—or maybe both?? [Whoever heard of THAT in a politician!!—RM] 3. Many changes took place: Christian worship became more formal; church buildings (called “basilicas”) sprang up. Most liked the change; others rejected it and headed for the desert to take up monastic life. A third group was neutral. [The word “monk” means solitary one; “monastery” means “a group of aloners.”] 4. Monasticism spread, especially in North Africa, both males and females. They began to show leadership in such diverse fields as theology, missions, agriculture, Bible copying, and even war (think Crusades). 5. Still others simply broke away from the majority church, insisting that they were the true church—just as in the 2nd and 3rd centuries, and now. 6. A big issue—what to do with the “lapsed”—those Christians who had denounced their faith under persecution and now wanted back in the church. The issue also had racial and social overtones, as well as theological. The controversy was heavy in North Africa, with conservatives and progressives arguing their views. 7. Controversies and Councils—The biggest controversy was over the nature of Jesus and the nature of the Trinity, especially whether Christ was fully God. (The Arians said he was first among the created beings.) Two Ecumenical Councils, (Nicea in 325 and Constantinople in 381) discussed the controversy and condemned Arianism. The doctrine of the Trinity which we believe today was forged out of these Councils—the Godhead is three in one. 8. The 4th and early 5th centuries were times of great Christian writers and thinkers. Among them are Augustine (whose influence lasts even to the present), Eusebius (1st church historian), and Jerome (translated the OT from Hebrew to Latin, the Vulgate). 9. This period came to an end with the fall of the Roman Empire (410 and later—it happened over time). The “barbarians” (Germanic people) came in from the north and sacked Rome. Even though the Roman Empire was officially over, for the next 1,000 years there were repeated attempts to restore the Constantine relationship between church and state. (Some even wish for it today!)